Quote from LodeRunner:
How could anyone argue the demand [for gold] isn't fear driven? How can we explain this bizarre inverse relationship with every other commodity's price?
People and central banks are buying it to preserve their wealth through the transition period of currency depreciation/failures. Following from this is a conclusion that many ETers have said before: Gold acts like a commodity *AND* like a currency. And as a currency, the net increase in total gold world-wide is 1.) well known and 2.) already at maximum rate. No other world currency compares even close on feature #2. We can expect (entirely rationally) that all world currencies except gold will be racing each other to the bottom due to corrupt incompetent politicians and their whiny entitled populace.
So far a lot of responders have attempted to explain this to you and your counter-argument to all of them thus far has been variants of "lolwut?!?! that not how you play!!1!" So I guess you want to know *WHY* does gold act like a currency while other commodities do not. The answer is 1.) thousands of years of tradition and 2.) value (due to supply) per weight and 3.) shelf life (compared to agricultural commodities) + doesn't oxidize (compared to other metals).
I realize you don't think highly of the "tradition" argument for gold being considered valuable, but reality is what it is. The observable evidence is everywhere (example next paragraph). Despite the liquidity feature of gold being obviated by electronic exchanges, the store-of-value feature is still present, going strong, and unmatched by any other currency or commodity.
Quote from LodeRunner:
And let's say you ARE stuffing gold coins under your mattress. Why? Do you really think gold will be the de facto standard of trade again?
You are right and wrong at the same time. During Argentina's currency crisis, "junk" gold jewelry was used for exchange. Gold bullion not so much.
Quote from LodeRunner:
Gold's high demand in the jewelry business, like it's demand in the markets, is entirely psychological. And eventually the post-apocalyptic peoples of the world would have to one day look up and say 'hey, what's this soft, heavy, ugly yellow crap that we lock in safes or paint silver actually good for again?'
You are correct, but gold demand being "psychological" is only a necessary--but not sufficient--condition for a bubble. Demand for any fiat currency is also psychological through and through, but these currencies could not be said to have been in a bubble for their entire lives. Eventually, currencies won't be seen as risky and valueless as they are today, and demand for gold's safe haven function will decline as you have predicted. But if you can't say when this will happen, how slowly/quickly the gold trade will unwind, and what value gold will settle down to then you don't really have a complete narrative for "omgwtf gold is teh bubble roflcopter!!1one"
Your value-investor type arguments give an incomplete working model of gold pricing and thus you underestimate its market price. When people try to fill in the gaps, you dismiss the arguments as illogical and the posters as "off their Ritalin". You are committing the same logical errors as in:
Step 1: define 2+2=5
Step 2: various mathematical derivations of #1 leading to #3
Step 3: any damn pre-determined conclusion of your choice
Step 4: reality disagrees with #3, so reality must be wrong